Southern Negro Youth Congress facts for kids
Members of the Southern Negro Youth Congress Meet with Idaho Senator Glen Taylor
|
|
| Founded | 1937 |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 1949 |
The Southern Negro Youth Congress (SNYC) was a group started in 1937 in Richmond, Virginia. It was made up of young leaders, many of whom were part of the National Negro Congress.
The first meeting of the SNYC brought together many different young people. There were students from almost all Black colleges. Also, Boy and Girl Scouts joined, along with young steel workers and members of the YMCA. They all came together to form this important group.
The SNYC believed that the biggest danger to democracy was not communism or socialism. Instead, they saw fascism as the main threat. They felt this was a danger to both Black and white people. Many members thought the SNYC was a great organization. It helped people settle in the Southern states. It also encouraged them to work for positive changes in their communities.
The SNYC did many things in the late 1930s and 1940s. They led boycotts against unfair workplaces. They helped African Americans register to vote. They talked to government officials in Washington, D.C., about problems. They also helped workers form unions. The SNYC even assisted rural African Americans with legal issues.
One study they did looked at prices. They compared items bought in Black communities to the same items in white communities. This study showed that prices were 20-30% higher in Black neighborhoods. This meant people who were already struggling paid more for basic needs.
Important members of the SNYC included Esther Cooper Jackson, Louis E. Burnham, and Edward E. Strong. Many famous people supported the SNYC at different times. These included Mary McLeod Bethune, Charlotte Hawkins Brown, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and W. E. B. Du Bois. At its strongest, the SNYC said it represented about 250,000 young Black Southerners. However, it was hard to check these numbers. The SNYC ended in 1949. This was partly due to the Cold War period in the United States. Also, fear, racial violence, and job losses made it very hard for SNYC leaders to continue their work.
Contents
How the SNYC Started
Before the SNYC, many African Americans faced tough times. In the early 1900s, they often struggled with money. They were also at the bottom of American economic and political life.
In 1936, the National Negro Congress met in Chicago. Young people there felt they needed their own group. They hoped to work without being held back by older leaders. There was much talk about where the first SNYC meeting would be. It was finally decided for Richmond, Virginia. The meeting happened on February 13 and 14, 1937, at the Fifth Baptist Church.
The first SNYC meeting had 534 young people. They represented 250,000 young people from 23 states. Students from all historically Black colleges were there. Also, members from YMCA branches and Girl and Boy Scouts attended. Like the National Negro Congress, the SNYC also included some members of the Communist Party.
First Big Meeting
The SNYC met on February 13 and 14, 1937. They split into groups to talk about problems. They also shared ideas for the main group to approve or change. Important adult leaders helped these groups. These leaders included John P Davis from the National Negro Congress. Others were from the Christian Youth Council of North America, the YMCA, and Black colleges.
A key part of the first meeting was a discussion. It was about "The Role of the Negro Church in Solving Social and Economic Problems of the Negro Youth." Dr. Mordecai Wyatt Johnson, the first Black president of Howard University, gave the main speech. He told the audience not to accept things as they were. He urged them to fight against unfairness to African Americans. His speech was met with great excitement. It gave advice to the young and questioned older ways of thinking.
Setting Up the Group
At this first meeting, the SNYC also set up its main office. It was located in Richmond. The group wanted young people who lived and worked in the South to be its officers. The first national officers were elected for one year. They were William F. Richardson as Chairman, Edward Strong as Executive Secretary, C. Columbus Alston as Field Representative, and James A. Cox as Treasurer. These officers were in charge of getting more people to join the SNYC. They often held membership drives to grow the group.
SNYC's Four Main Goals
Throughout its history, the SNYC followed a four-point plan. They used this plan in almost all their projects. About 100 local groups connected to the SNYC also supported this plan. The four goals were to improve life in the South in these areas:
- Citizenship: Helping people understand their rights and duties.
- Education: Making sure everyone had good schools.
- Jobs: Working for fair employment for all.
- Health: Improving health care for communities.
By focusing on these points, the SNYC gained support from both African Americans and white citizens in the South.
Tobacco Worker Strikes
The SNYC got involved in two strikes in Richmond, Virginia, in 1937. The first strike was on April 16, 1937, at the Carrington & Michaux Tobacco Stemming Company. The second was on May 7, 1937, at the I. N. Vaughn & Company.
At that time, there was a tobacco union. But it separated workers by job, not race. This meant it often ignored the needs of Black workers. To help Black workers organize, the SNYC sent C. Columbus Alston. He was also a union member of the Youth Committee of the American Federation of Labor. Alston helped Black workers form their own union, the Tobacco Stemmers and Laborers Industrial Union.
With Alston and the SNYC's help, this new union made a list of demands. They wanted higher wages, shorter work hours, and better working conditions. Within two days, an agreement was reached with the company owners.
Other Important Work
The SNYC also worked on other big issues. They fought against terrible acts of violence called lynchings. They also worked to end the poll tax, which stopped many Black people from voting. And they helped African Americans register to vote.
The SNYC joined with groups like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). They hoped to pass laws that would make lynching a federal crime. SNYC members were asked to send letters and telegrams to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
From the start, the SNYC tried to get more Black people to vote in the South. They pushed this idea through their newspaper, Citizenship Campaign. It said that voting could change most problems Black people faced. Besides newspapers, the SNYC handed out pamphlets and buttons. They also held voter registration clinics. The SNYC was one of the first community groups to do this.
Using Art to Inspire
The SNYC also believed in using art to share their message. They used poetry and drama to reach young people. The Congress created a publication called Cavalcade: The March of Southern Negro Youth. They also formed the Association of Young Writers and Artists. These groups helped Black artists share their feelings and ideas.
The Southern Negro Youth Congress Community Theatre also performed plays. They traveled across the South. Their plays reminded African Americans of their history. They also showed that working hard was needed to make America truly democratic.
Government Concerns and the SNYC
Since the SNYC started in 1937, some members were part of the Communist Party. In the late 1930s, the American Communist Party became more visible. Because of this, the United States government began to watch groups with Communist members.
From 1940 to 1952, the FBI collected information on the SNYC. They watched them closely. They also paid people to report on the group. However, many people started to see the SNYC as controlled by the Communist Party. This idea hurt many of the SNYC's efforts and made them less popular. Sallye Davis, the mother of famous activist Angela Davis, was active in the SNYC in Birmingham, Alabama.
Last Big Meeting
The SNYC held its eighth and final conference in 1948. It took place on April 23, 24, and 25, 1948, in Birmingham, Alabama. This meeting made national news. It also showed how much control officials had over people's lives in the South.
The Police Commissioner at the time was Bull Connor. He tried very hard to stop the SNYC from meeting. He said that separating races was required by law. He said police would enforce this. The SNYC looked for churches to hold their meetings. But when they found a place, Bull Connor would call the minister. He would say that since the SNYC was an interracial group, the meeting would break Alabama's laws.
Three Black churches turned down the SNYC. Finally, Reverend H. Douglas Oliver allowed the meeting at his Alliance Gospel Tabernacle. The meeting was held on May 1, 1948. When white members arrived, they were arrested for breaking segregation laws. Even so, the meeting continued with the remaining Black members, but under segregated conditions.
At the meeting, the SNYC passed statements against segregation laws. They also said they were not connected to the Communist Party. But the U.S. Department of Justice did not accept their claims. Soon after the meeting, Edward K. Weaver, the SNYC president, had to resign.
What Happened Next
After its last conference and the president's resignation, the SNYC quickly lost support. It became less popular in both the South and the North. The challenges against the group were too strong. The time after World War II also made things harder.
The United States was in the middle of the Cold War. This led to more racial tension. It also made police watch groups they thought were "radical" more closely. The U.S. Attorney General, Tom Clark, said the SNYC was a "subversive organization."
The SNYC had two main goals. They wanted to make the South more democratic. They also wanted equal chances for everyone living there. Even though the SNYC ended by 1949, their efforts were not wasted. They planted a spirit of change in people. This spirit helped lead to the Civil Rights Movement that happened about ten years later.
